Operation Fortune’s Mike Twist & Real Plan Explained
A crucial twist in Operation Fortune reveals that Mike is not a rival spy conspiring against Orson and his team but also has some ulterior motives.
As Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre gradually unravels the tapestry around Mike’s real identity and plan, it becomes evident that there is more to his characterization than meets the eye. Unfolding as a typical Guy Ritchie movie, Operation Fortune has an ensemble cast, features high-intensity action scenes, and reveals its quick-paced narrative in the backdrop of some picturesque locations. While its overarching storyline is fairly linear almost throughout its runtime, the movie has some well-timed, unforeseeable twists that effectively raise the stakes of its high-octane action and drama.
After Jason Statham’s spy character, Orson Fortune, gets hired by the government to track down a stolen package called “The Handle” in Operation Fortune’s opening arc, his mission comes off as a simple game of snatch-and-run, where he must track down the thieves and steal the package from them. Other than a few obvious obstacles laid by the thieves and a competing spy team led by Mike, Orson and his crew initially do not face any unexpected threats. However, what begins as a simple snatch-and-run mission for Orson, later turns into a complex game of cat-and-mouse when Mike’s real plan and motives start surfacing.
Who Mike Was Really Working For In Operation Fortune
In Operation Fortune’s initial moments, Mike appears to be a rival intelligence contractor, who, like Orson, was hired by the government to intercept Greg’s $10 million deal of “The Handle.” Although he treats Orson and his team as enemies, it is hard not to assume that he is only being competitive, owing to his implied history and rivalry with Orson. However, Operation Fortune’s ending reveals that Mike had more than personal reasons to scheme against Orson and was actually working against the government as a rogue spy.
Mike probably learned about Greg and the hefty money behind “The Handle” sale through his connections within British intelligence. Realizing that if he plots and executes a perfect heist that works against the government’s plans of intercepting Greg’s deal, he can have all the money for himself. Therefore, Mike (played by Peter Ferdinando from the fame of Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur) decided to split paths with the government and worked as a sole proprietor, planning to double-cross his former co-workers by sabotaging their mission. To pull this off, he even deceives the Ukrainian mobsters, including Alexander, who stole the “The Handle” in Operation Fortune’s opening moments.
Why Mike Stole The Handle From Alexander
Although he seemingly joins forces with the mob in the beginning, he later betrays them and snags the A.I. technology from Alexander because he wants every bit of the $10 billion commission that Greg would receive for the deal with the tech billionaires Trent and Arnold. By intercepting Alexander and getting his hands on “The Handle,” he hopes to negotiate a new buying deal for “The Handle” with Trent and Arnold in exchange for the $10 billion that they had promised to Greg. However, in another exciting twist of events in Operation Fortune’s spy drama, it turns out that Mike had also been working for Trent and Arnold all along.
They, too, become victims of his deception, though, when he decides to keep “The Handle” and the $10 billion all for himself. Ultimately, Mike tries double-crossing everyone and even almost gets away with it. Unfortunately, to his dismay, towards the final moments of Operation Fortune, Orson stops him before he can use “The Handle” to fulfill his selfish, destructive motives.
What Happened To John?! Was He Still Working With Mike?
When Orson finds out that Sarah is the new replacement for his former tech expert John, he recalls John by claiming that he “did not have a personality,” which benefited him because it made John “more reliable.” Disagreeing with him, Aubrey Plaza’s Operation Fortune character, Sarah, corrects him by revealing that John was not so reliable after all, as he joined Mike’s spy team after leaving Orson. She also adds that she was Mike’s tech expert before John took her place on the team. This suggests that Mike was probably wary about trusting Sarah with his treacherous plan and sent her to Orson’s team.
After getting rid of Sarah, Mike likely convinced John to go rogue by luring him with the grand prize behind their mission. Considering how Mike’s plan fails towards the end of the movie, John probably regretted his decision of leaving Orson’s team and joining forces with an outlaw. In contrast, even though Orson was not all that excited about having Sarah on his side in Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre’s initial moments and openly expressed his concerns surrounding her skills, he got along with her in ways he had never anticipated.